Vehicle running-gear



(No Model.)

I J. R. KUNZELM'AN. V E HIGLE RUNNING GEAR.

N0. 471',007. Patented Mar. 15, 1892.

. I INVENTOH:

ATTORNEYS.

NITED STATES JOHN R. KUNZELMAN, OF STILLVVATER, MINNESOTA.

VEHICLE RUNNING-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,007, dated March15, 1892.

Application filed August 12, 1891. Serial No. 402,480. (No model.)

To all whom, it 11mg concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN R. KUNZELMAN, residing at Stillwater, in thecounty of Washington and State of Minnesota, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Running-Gears, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to that class of running-gear for wagons,bob-sleds, &c.,-in which the reach is adapted to rotate, it being forthat purpose connected with the axles by universal joints.

It is more particularlyan improvement upon the running-gear for which Ihave received Letters Patent in the United States, numbered 430,131. Inthat case the reach is connected with each hound or sway-bar by means ofa cord, so that the former is rotated when the front axle assumes anyother than a right angle to it, and the rear axle is thereby moved to acorresponding angle, but in the opposite direction.

In the present invention I employ racks and pinions as the means ofconnection between the reach and axle-hounds, suitably-arranged stopsbeing provided for arresting the rotation of the reach to limit theangle which the rear axle may assume to the reach, while permitting thefront axle to assume a greater one, as required to facilitate turning ofsharp corners.

To these ends my invention consists in the novel arrangement andcombination of parts, such as will'hereinafter be fully described in theannexed specification, and particularly pointed out in the claims,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 isa top plan View of my improved running-gear, the reach being shownformed of a single member. Fig. 2 is a similar View, the reach beingshown in sections and the front axle being turned at a greater angle tothe reach than the rear axle. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4 4, Fig. 1;and Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the reach and the stops hereinafterreferred to.

In the accompanying drawings, A indicates the front axle, and B the rearaxle, such axles being similar in form and construction andprovided eachwith hounds or sway -bars O C D D, such bars being arranged double, as

shown in Fig. 3, and between which the reach E passes, the ends of suchreach being formed with balls I), which seat in the sockets a, securedto the axles A and B in a manner clearly shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings.

When it is desired to adapt my improved running-gear for hook-and-laddertrucks and such like vehicles, the reach E is formed of a single member,as shown in Fig. 1; but the preferred construction is shown in Fig. 2,which shows the reach formed in three parts, the end portions 6' beinghollow to receive the central or solid member e so that the reach isadapted to telescope, as required to lengthen or shorten the reach,which is a desideratum in a certain class of farnrwagons. Screw-bolts eare employed to secure the parts 6' 6 together for any adjustment, asshown. The reach E is provided with beveled pinions F and G, which arekeyed or otherwise fastened to the reach, which are arranged torespectively engage the curved racks H and I, secured, respectively, tothe upper one of the front and rear sway-bars, their rack-faces h andilprojecting inward beyond such bars, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. By thisconstruction it will be observed that when the front axle is turned ineither direction the rack I will engage the pinion F and rotate thereach, and thereby through the medium of the pinion G and rack I swingthe rear axle to the same angle to the reach as the front axle, but inan opposite direction, (see Fig. 1,) stops J J being provided on therear hounds, which limit the movement of the said hounds on the reach.As before stated, the front axle is arranged for a greater movement thanthe rear axlet'. 6., after the rear axle has been turned to its limitthe front axle can be still further'turned. To this end the front edgeof the upper member O of the front sway-bars is projected, as at c e,such projections beginning at the points where the rack-bar H ends.

K K indicate stops, (the construction of which is most clearly shown inFig. 5,) which are secured to the reach E by the bolt k, as shown.

By reference to Fig. 1 it will be observed that the front and rearhounds are turned to a point where the rear hound is at its limit, atwhich time the pinion F will be just under the extreme end of the rack Hand the stop K just about to pass under the projection 0. Now should thefront axle and hounds be swung still farther in the direction indicatedby the arrow the rack H will leave the pinion F and the projection 0pass over the stops K and K and thereby hold the reach from turningduring this latter movementof the front axle. Now when the parts are inthe position shown in Fig. 2 it will be readily seen that when the frontaxle is turned in the reverse direction it has a free movementin advanceof the rear axle, which movement permits the projection c to clear thestops K K and the pinion F engage the rack I-I, after which the frontand rear axles will act in unison.

To provide for an oscillatory movement of the axles independent of thehounds, I may employ a hinged connection between such hounds and axle,as shown in Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a running-gear for Vehicles, the combination of the reach havingpinions and stops, as described, with the front and rear axles, to whichis connected by a universal joint the front and rear hounds orsway-bars, the rackbars attached thereto, the front hound havingprojections with which the said stops engage, substantially as and forthe purposes specified.

2. The combination, with the front and rear axles, the hounds and thereach having universal-joint connections with the axles, and the rackand gear devices connecting said reach and hounds and arranged wherebythe movement of the front axle will be transmitted in an oppositedirection to the rear axle and whereby the front axle will be adaptedfor a greater movement than the rear axle, as and for the purposedescribed.

3. In a running-gear for vehicles, the combination of the reach havingpinions and stops, as desired, with the front and rear axles, to whichit is connected by a universal joint, the front and rear hounds, andrack-bars attached thereto, the front hound having shoulders with whichthe said stops are adapted to engage and the front rack being made ofless length than the rear one, as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, with the axles, rotating reach, and racks andpinions, of the hounds hinged to said axles, as shown and described.

JOHN R. KUNZELMAN. WVitnesses:

Louis L. MANWARING, F. V. COMFORT.

